Pingree Moves to Reduce Food Waste

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree is tackling an issue that has long gone overlooked; food waste. On December 7th, Pingree introduced a bill in Congress that took aim at reducing the amount of wasted food created each year. The Food Recovery Act includes almost two dozen policies to reduce food waste.

Chellie Pingree announces her new food waste reduction bill at the Portland Food Coop, December 2015.

Pingree says, “the Food Recovery Act takes a comprehensive approach to reducing the amount of food that ends up in landfills and at the same time reducing the number of Americans who have a hard time putting food on the table.”

Representatives from Hannaford Supermarkets, the Good Shepherd Food Back and Agri-Cycle Energy joined Pingree at the Portland Food Co-op in the East End to announce the bill.

Pingree’s bill focuses on food waste in four major areas: the consumer level, in grocery stores and restaurants, in schools and institutions, and on the farm.

The Food Recovery Act bill would address the problem that 40% of all food produced in the U.S. is wasted. This accounts for about 20% of landfill weight.

Pingree’s legislation emphasizes that food waste contributes to greenhouse gases, making this the first step in a national reform for a healthier and less wasteful economy.